Curriculum. A set of courses in an area of specialization offered by an educational institution. A curriculum for a pilot school usually includes courses for the various pilot certificates and ratings.

Cut-away. Model of an object that is built in sections so it can be taken apart to reveal the inner structure.

Defense mechanisms. Subconscious ego-protecting reactions to unpleasant situations.

Demonstration-performance method. An educational presentation where an instructor first shows the learner the correct way to perform an activity and then has the learner attempt the same activity.

Description of the skill or behavior. The first part of a performance-based objective which explains the desired outcome of instruction in concrete terms that can be measured.

Determiners. In test items, words which give a clue to the answer. Words such as “always” and “never” are determiners in true-false questions. Since absolutes are rare, such words usually make the statement false.

Direct question. A question used for follow-up purposes, but directed at a specific individual.

Discrimination. The degree to which a test distinguishes the differences between learners.

Distractors. Incorrect responses to a multiple-choice test item.

Disuse. A theory of forgetting that suggests a person forgets those things that are not used.

Drill and practice method. A time-honored training delivery method based on the learning principle that connections are strengthened with practice.

Effect. A principle of learning that learning is strengthened when accompanied by a pleasant or satisfying feeling, and that learning is weakened when associated with an unpleasant feeling.

Electronic learning (e-learning). Any type of education that involves an electronic component such as the Internet, a network, a stand-alone computer, CD/DVDs, video conferencing, websites, or e-mail in its delivery.

Element of threat. A perception factor that describes how a person is unlikely to easily comprehend an event if that person is feeling threatened since most of a person’s effort is focused on whatever is threatening them.

Exercise. A principle of learning emphasizing that those things most often repeated are best remembered.

FAASTeam. See Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team.

FAASTeam Program Manager. The person who designs, implements, and evaluates the FAASTeam within the FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) area of responsibility.